Automania/Repair & Maintenance

AUTO QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR 1996 WEEK 14

by Bob Hagin

Q. I own a 1967 Porsche 911S with 250,000 miles on the original
engine. It can't pass our state emissions control test anymore and my
mechanic tells me that it was never intended to run so as to pass a smog
test. The engine and carburetors have never been modified. The estimated
cost to rebuild the engine is $6500 which is more than I can afford and
I need the car for transportation.

P.C. Yucaipa, CA

A. State inspections are meant to do two things. Make the air clean
and get old cars off the road. While the elimination of some of the
"beaters" that are on our streets would be no great loss, you and your
Porsche are almost caught in a Catch 22 situation. The car is too
valuable to scrap (the current book value of a '67 911S is somewhere
between $5000 and $16,000, depending in its condition), and you can't
afford to get it brought up to snuff. In states wherever passing
mandatory inspections (brakes, smog, general condition, etc.) are
necessary for reregistration, owners of vintage cars are at a
disadvantage. But in most states (and California is among them), there
are loopholes that are written into the laws to save cars like yours
from the wrecker. The ability to pass the smog test by an unaltered car
can be bypassed if the cost of the repairs exceed a certain amount,
usually around $300 to $500. A state-appointed inspector usually has to
verify the situation and the process can be long and complex. Start with
your own Department of Motor Vehicles and it will give you the
procedure. When my son-in-law ran into this problem with his Porsche
944, he sold the car to a Porsche fanatic who undertook its restoration.

Q. My 1986 Chevrolet Cavalier has a 2.8 liter V6 engine in it. I have
about 95,000 miles on it and it runs fabulously for the first 10 or
15 minutes. After that, the oil pressure drops significantly and then
the engine runs very rough and sometimes even stalls. I have already
replaced the oil pressure sending unit and wonder if there is anything
else that is inexpensive that I could try.

J.B. Portage, MI

A. By "...runs very rough..." I wonder if you mean that the engine
starts to misfire (a problem that is usually caused by a malfunction in
the spark or fuel delivery systems) or if the engine starts to knock
loudly. This latter problem could be a connecting rod or main bearing
that's packed up (that 2.8 liter Chevy V6 was prone to bearing failure)
which would account for the drastic drop in oil pressure. Install a
non-electric oil pressure gauge to see if the pressure is really
dropping or if your gauge is at fault. If the problem is fuel or spark
delivery, its cure is determined via a process of elimination. If the
problem is a bad engine bearing, get ready for an expensive repair or
another vehicle. On modern cars, very few repairs are inexpensive.

Q. Our family is in a quandary about a car that I've had for many
years and can't bring myself to dispose of. It is a 1966 MGB that is in
a terrible state of disrepair but still runs. The brakes are bad, the
suspension is worn out and every panel on the body is wrinkled as are
the doors, hood and trunk. It has wire wheels, all of which are in need
of a rebuild. I have two small sons and I'd like to pass it on to them.

T.H. Milton, WA

A. It sounds like you really need to run your B down the assembly line
again - which is not impossible. The company has a special "reassembly"
line in England which takes your VIN plate and puts new pieces around
it. Unfortunately, the cost is extremely high and you wind up with a
sentimental treasure that's not worth what you've put into it. If you
want to try a restoration yourself, British Car magazine has dozens of
ads for companies that can supply you with everything from new needles
for the SU carburetors to an entire new body.